Out for Blood: A Billie Joe Story

"Why are you scared," my father asks. I take a deep breath.

"Because it hurts," I reply softly. I feel his hand travel from my waist to my thigh and back again. He chuckles.

"That's not a good enough reason to stop me," he hisses in my ear. I feel him start to enter me slowly and I gasp.

"Please stop," I say, panicking. He doesn't stop. If anything, he went slower to hurt me more. I moan in pain. He crushes his lips against mine and slips his tongue into my mouth. He pushes in harder and pulls out. He does that over and over, always going faster and doing it harder. He smiles the first time I scream.

"That's what I wanna hear," he murmurs. By the time he's done, I've screamed seven times. He gets up and puts his clothes on, then looks at me. "I love you, Ellie, I really do." I sit up and pull the covers up to my neck to make sure I was covered.

"Then why do you do this to me night after night," I ask, anger in every word. He stares at me for a few seconds and then walks out, leaving me alone.

***

I wake up the next day at 9:42. I get right up and walk over to the bag of clothes I left by my closet. I take out a black one that has a picture of an emo panda. I take that out and I grab the pair of plaid sweats that are on the floor. I also get a bra and underwear out of a drawer. I take a shower and get dressed. I put the usual mascara and eyeliner on and walk downstairs. Mike and Tre are sitting at the table with my father. They all look at me as I walk down the stairs.

"Hey, El," Tre says, smiling.

"Hi, Tre. Hi, Mike," I say, avoiding my father's glare.

"Hey, El," Miek says. "How are you?" I shrug.

"Okay. You?"

"I'm good... why don't you sit with us?" I walk over and sit in the chair next to Mike, still not looking at my father.

"Oh my, God, Ellie; how'd you get that bruise," Tre exclaims, looking at my arm. I look down at where he's looking. He's right, there's a reddish-black bruise from last night.

"I fell," I say nonchalantly.

"Where," Mike asks, not sounding convinced.

"My room. I was walking to my door and I lost my balance and my arm hit the corner of my nightstand."

"Ouch," Tre says, sounding like he believed it. Mike still didn't look convinced.

"Ellie, your alarm is going off," my father says. We all stay quiet. I realize I can hear "Call Me" by In This Moment blaring from my CD alarm clock. I get up and run up the stairs. I turn it off, but when I turn around Mike is standing in my doorway.

"Why are you lying to me, El," he asks. I sit down on the edge of my bed.

"I'm not lying, Mike." He sits down next to me.

"Please tell me where you really got that bruise." I look down. "I won't tell anyone."

"I can't, Mike-."

"Was it Billie?"